World No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz met Lionel Messi as he attended MLS Eastern Conference showdown in Miami.
According to Tennis Uptodate, the six-time Grand Slam champion, who is currently in Miami, made a special appearance at the latest MLS showdown between Inter Miami and New York City FC.
Messi led Inter Miami on Saturday evening, November 29, claimed a dominant 5-1 win over NYC FC to win the MLS Eastern Conference trophy, and reached the first-ever MLS Cup final.
The Spanish tennis star not only attended the match at the Chase Stadium in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, but also took to the field for the ceremony with the championship trophy to hand to the local team’s team captain, the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner Messi.
The 22-year-old also received a gift from David Beckham’s club. Inter Miami presented a team jersey to him with the number 99 on the back and his name, "Carlitos."
It is worth noting that Carlos, who withdrew from the Davis Cup due to the injury he sustained at the ATP Finals, will play two high-profile exhibition matches in December.
During an interview with The Associated Press, the Paris Olympic silver medalist faced tough questions about his participation in an exhibition match despite his continuous criticism of the tough schedule.
Alcaraz replied, “First of all, it’s normal that people think that way, and they don’t understand why we’re complaining about the calendar and then we set up the exhibition matches. For me, the main difference is that at a tournament, you’ve got to keep your focus, and it’s really physically and mentally demanding for one week and a half. And an exhibition is just one day.”
“I think it’s a really different format, a different situation playing exhibitions than the official tournaments. We’re just having fun for one or two days and playing some tennis, and I think that’s great,” he explained.
Furthermore, Alcaraz will face Frances Tiafoe in Newark, New Jersey, on December 7, and João Fonseca in Miami on December 8.
